From looking after toddlers at home to canceling wedding
gatherings, ordinary Chinese people are striving hard to deal with
the aftermath of the SARS outbreak.
Residents in epidemic-stricken areas are becoming increasingly calm
as the reality of the spread of the flu-like virus sinks in.
Owing in part to an enhanced information flow about the disease,
they are adapting their lives to incorporate new guidance on health
and hygiene.
The shadow of SARS failed to stop a group of kite-flyers from
enjoying the balmy spring sunshine in Beijing's Xicheng
District.
Chinese people Thursday began to enjoy the five-day holiday to
celebrate International Labor Day, which was shortened this year by
the government to prevent nationwide travel and stop the spread of
SARS.
A
retired worker, who identified himself as Xu, said he and his
senior peers had not missed a single day of flying kites in a small
park near Fuxingmen.
"What use is it to lock yourself up at home shaking at the prospect
of the disease?'' said Xu. "We read in newspapers that the key to
fighting SARS is to build up your body.''
Fresh air in open spaces and a light heart will help combat the
infection, said Xu, who had chosen not to wear a facemask.
Si
You, an engineer in Beijing who flew to his hometown to see his ill
mother 10 days ago, said he was not able to see his parents until
Thursday.
"I'm from a disease-stricken region so I had to isolate myself for
a few days even though I knew I was fine. Only then can I feel it
is safe to see my mother,'' said Si, in central China's Hubei
Province.
Si
has benefited from the country's intensified efforts to disseminate
information about SARS, which also provides explicit precautionary
measures against the deadly viral disease.
The fight against SARS has also put the squeeze on the wedding boom
that occurs in the week before and after the Labor Day holiday.
But devoted couples have developed others ways of marking their
special occasion.
Li
Yu, an information technology worker in southwest China's Chongqing
Municipality, held a high-tech wedding ceremony.
Using a digital camera, the bridegroom broadcast his wedding
reception -- attended by only a few close relatives -- online at
his personal website for other friends and relatives.
Li
said the small wedding ceremony was to avoid a lot of people
getting together in a tight area, which may risk of spreading
SARS.
Beijing's decision to close theatres, cinemas and other
entertainment centers has forced more residents to use the Internet
or rent DVDs.
A
movie fan in Beijing, who identified himself as Zhou, said he used
his Internet broadband access to watch movies online.
But the greatest impact on ordinary residents was the change in
their everyday personal health and hygiene habits.
Apart from paying closer attention to what they eat and where to
go, people are washing their hands with greater regularity because
of the SARS threat.
An
Yi, a doctor at Beijing's Anding Hospital, said anxiety usually
accompanies an epidemic outbreak, but excessive stress may erode
body immunity.
In
fact, the Beijing Public Health Bureau has opened a hotline
(010-62020752) to ease fears of SARS.
(China Daily, May 2, 2003)